Flexible automatic transmission



April 13', 1926.

W. E. JOHNSON FLEXIBLE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIUN Original Fi-led Feb. 12.1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Whine}; 0C1 aip'llzmv April 13 1926. 1,580,900

7 w. E. JOHNSON FLEXIBLE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION Original Fil Feb. 12.1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q fwvanfor Z/Zii 706,538" William/l. Jdams'onPatented Apr. 13, 1926.

UNITED STATES rssaeee PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. JOHNSON, OF CLIFTON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIG-NOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN-MENTS, TO FLEXO DRIVE CORPORATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATIONOF ILLINOIS.

FLEXIBLE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

Application filed February 12, 1921, Serial 1 0 oil whom, it mayconcern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM E. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Clifton, in the county of Pass-aic and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flexible AutomaticTransmissions, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general to power transmitting mechanisms, andis concerned more particularly with an improved flexible transmissioncapable of a gradual speed ratio variation from zero to maximumcontrolled automatically by the resistance torque of the load.

The transmission of the present invention serves to deliver power from adriving element to a driven element, and is most advantageously adaptedfor employment in any connection where it is desired to vary graduallyand automatically the speed ratio between the driving and drivenelements in order to maintain the most efficient ratio and therebyprevent overload of the former by the latter. 7

The present disclosure is based upon two embodiments of the inventionwhich aptly set forth not only the construction and principles involvedbut also the wide range of use to which the invention may be put. ()neof the forms of the transmission shown is a simplified one intended fordirect at tachn'ient to the shaft of an electric motor or the like andin this capacity prevents both the burning out and over-loading of thesame during starting and operation. The other form shown is intended tosupplant the ordinary hand-operated transmission of a motor vehicle.

The main and primary object of the invention is the provision of anovelly con structed power transmission of the nature described.

Another equally important object is the provision of such a transmissionwhich is characterized in its construction by a compound. epieyclic geartrain.

A. further important object of the invention is the provision of atransmission of this kind, which serves also to supplant the fly wheelordinarily employed with explosive motors.

The invention further has in contemplation the provision of such atransmission No. 444,241. Renewed September 14, 1925.

which may be quickly shifted into forward reverse or neutral drive atwill, whereby shifting into a drive opposite to that in which thetransmission is operating functions as an efiicient emergency brake forthe vehicle.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe nature of the same is understood from the'following detaileddescription and accompanying drawings, the invention residing primarilyin the noved construction, arrangement and operation of partshereinafter disclosed.

The present invention is obviously capable of modification inunessential details of construction, and arrangement, and the particularen'ibodiinents of the same chosen for the purpose of exempliiication andhere presented are therefore not intended to restrict the spirit of theinvention or limit unnecessarily the scope of the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is an end view of the transmission casing which houses themechanism of the invention when the same is employed with motorvehicles;

Fig. 2 is a. longitudinal composite vertical and horizontal sectiontaken through the casing and mechanism on the line 2-2 of F l;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3*?) of Figs. 2 and 4:;and

Fig. 4: is a composite sectional view of another forin of the invention,the planes on which the section is taken corresponding to thoseindicated by the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Referring now in detail to the drawings and particularly to Fig. ithereof, the numoral 10 indicates a drive shaft, 11 a driven shaftcoaxially aligned therewith, and 12 a transmission casing which housesthe mechanism of this form of the invention. The shafts 10 and 11 arejournalled in bearings '1 carried by the casing in the opposite endsthereof. The inner end of the shaft 10 is provided with an axial reducedportion 14; which is rotatably seated in hearings in a correspondingrecess in the inner end of the shaft 1].. I I

A spider 1.5 is fixedly mounted on the feathered inner end of the shaft10 and carries a pair of oppositely-disposed and freely rotatablecountershafts 16. Inasmuch as Fig. 4:, as well as Fig. 2, is a compositesection taken on two )lanes at right-angles to each other, it should beunderstood that the mechanism illustrated above the center line of theview is duplicated on the opposite side of the transmission, and thatthe mechanism illustrated belowthe line is likewise duplicated. Only oneof the two shafts 16, therefore appears in this view. The spider alsocarries another pair of oppositely disposed and freely rotatablecountcrshafts 17 which are angularly positioned therein in a plane atright-angles to that containing the shafts 1G. The shafts 16 and 17 areprovided at correspondingends with fixed pinions 18 and19,.respeetively, the teeth of which mesh outwardly with the internalteeth of a large gear wheel which is formed rigidly on the inner end ofthe driven shaft 11 and constitutes with either pair of countershafts ancpicyclic train. The ends of the shafts 17 opposite the pi'nions 19 havefixedly mounted thereon larger pinions 21, the teeth of which mesh.outwardly with the internal teeth of a large ring member 2-2 which isrigidly attached to the periphery of a heavy drunji 23. This drum isconcentric with the shaft 10 and journalled thereon in such a way as torotate freely relative, to the same.

The shafts 16 are a little longer than the shafts 17, and, at their'endsopposite the pinions 18, have fixedly mounted thereon within theinterior of the drum 28 smaller pinions 2,4 the teeth of which meshinwardly with the teeth of an elongated sleeve gear 25. Said gear isrotatably journalled-ci' the shaft 10 within the drum 23, and carries,adjacent the end wall 23 of the drum, a disk 26 the inner periphery ofwhich is toothed and intermeshes in locked engagement with that portionof the teeth of the sleeve gear not cooperating with the pinions 24-. Aretaining ring 27 is disposed in an annular groove cut partly in thedisk and partly in the sleeve gear, and serves to position the formerlongitudinally of the latter. The outer periphery of the disk has cuttherein at equally spaced intervals four arcuate recesses orindentations 28 which serve as guides or supports for radial movement offour centrifugally-acting weights straddling the same. These weights areprevented from moving arcnately around the disk, however, because of theabutments formed by the ends of the weight-seating recesses, Theconstruction of the notched disk and weights is clearly illustrated inFig, 3.

The operation of the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 4 andhereabove described will now be explained: For the purpose ofexemplification we will assume that the drive or power shaft 10 isrotating in a clockwise direct-ion as viewed from the left ofl ig. 4,and that the driven shaft. 11 is held tionary or practically so by theie sistance torque offered by the load. From the construction of thetransmission it will be understood that the spider 15 rotates with thedrive shaft. Under the conditions above assumed it will be evident thatinasmuch as the gear wheel 9.0 remains stationary under its load thecounter-shafts 16 and 17 while revolving around the shaft will be forcedto rotate at a relatively high rate of speed in a contra-cloclnvisedirection by reason of the intermeshed relation of their pinions 18 and19 with said gear 20. The relatively large pinions 21 on the shafts 17will therefore rotate the drum 23 in a cont tt-ClOClZWlSG direction,while the small pinions 2ft on the shafts 16 will rotate the sleeve gear25, the disk 26 and the weights 29 in a clockwise direction and at; agreater speed than the drive shaft 10. 7

As the disk 26 rotates the weights 29 are thrown radially outwards bycentrifugal action, and frictionally contact with the inner surface ofthe drum The frictional resistance thus set up tends to change thecontra-clockwise rotation of the drum to a clockwise rotation at thespeed the drive shaft, and to reduce the clockwise speed of the disk andweights to that of the drive shaft. In order for the weights acting onthe drum to decrease in the slightest the relative speed between thetwo, it will be obvious that thedrum and weights must act through thepinions 21 and 24 respectively to slow the speed of contra-clockwiserotation of the countershafts 16 and 17. It also evident,

'however, that in order to permit this reduction in speed of rotationthe gear wheel 20 connected to the load. shaftmust be rotated slowly ina clockwisedirection, the gear reduction set up being dependent upon therelative speed and consequent slippage of the drum and weights. If theresistance of the load offered through the gear wheel 20 is sufficientlygreat to overcome the frictional engagement between the drum and weightsthe relative speed between t e same will be proportionately high, reilting in a corresponding gear reduction. 'lhis:

decre a;

ellicientlv pulled without strain by a motor 500 pounds when the sa neisyrotating at 1 00 R. P. M. weights will be employed in ill) thetransmission which will grip the drum without slippage when theresistance of the load is 500 pounds or less. If this re.:istanee isincreased through any cause whatsoever the weights will immediately slipon the inner surface of the drum to produce a gear reduction suliicientto overcome the additional load resistance. The speed of rotation of thedriven shaft will of course be decreased in consequence thereof unlessthe speed of the drive shaft is proportionately accele 'ated.

Attention is now directed particularly to Fig. 2 of the drawings. Theform of the invention therein shown is one in which the transmissionpreviously described is slightly modified for use with a motor vehiclewherein a forward, reverse and neutral connection of the power shaftwith the load shaft is desired. From an inspection of this view it willbe apparent that the mechanism shown in the left-hand part thereof isidentical except in one or two minor details with the completetransmission herebefore described and illustrated in Fig. 4. Theadditional mechanism shown in the right-hand part of Fig. 2 cooperateswith the transmission proper to provide an efficient forward. reverse orneutral drive shift.

.l n this form of the invention the trans mission su 'iplants theordinary fly wheel, and the flangel'l end portion 30 of the drive shaft:l'ormerly attached to thefly wheel is instead bolted to a heavy collar31. An extension drive shaft 32 is then rigidly secured in the collar 31in axial alignn'ientwith the motor drive shaft 10. This extension shaft32 is the equivalent of the drive shaft 10 of Fig. 4, and is providedlikewise at its inner end with a reduced portion 33 which seats in arecess of the driven shaft 11. The transmission casing 12 may be acontinuation otthe motor crank casing, in which event the same need onlybe journalled at its closed end on the shaft 11.

The pinions 18 and 1.), instead of meshing with the ea r wheel attachedto the driven l? shaft Ill, as shown in Fig. 4, mesh outwardly with theinwardly disposed teeth of a large internal gear wheel 34 which isjournalled to rotate freely on the shaft 10' and is provided with anelongated hub portion to which is fixedly attached at the far endtluvreof a small ring gear 36. The outer periphery of the gear wheel 34is frust'oconical in shape for a purpose to be set forth later. The hubportion 35 of the gear wheel Illhas rotatably mounted thereon a skeletonframe 37 which has journalled at opposite points therein twocountershafts 3S. Theie shafts are provided with small fixed pinions 89which mesh. inwardly with the previously mentioned ring gear carriedrigidly on the hub portion 35, and outwardlywith the inwardly disposedteeth of an internal gear wheel 40 formed on the inner end of the drivenor load shaft 11, thereby forming a second epicyclic train which isadapted to couple with the first by means hereinafter set forth to formtherewith a compound epicyclic train.

A clutch member 41 of general bellshaped cross section is journalled onan enlarged portion of the driven shaft 11 between gear wheel 40 and theend of the casing 12. This member is so journalled as to permit oflongitudinal shifting on the shaft 11 and comprises a wide exteriorlygrooved hub portion 42, and a radially flanged portion 43 which, at adistance from the hub portion, turns longitudinally and then obliquelyoutwards to constitute inner and outer frusto-conica-l surfaces 44 forengagement, when shifted to the left, with the outer frusto-conicalsurface of the gear wheel 34, and when shifted to the right, with theinner frusto-conical surface 45 of an adjacent portion of thetransmission casing 12. The skeleton frame 37 is locked to the clutchmember 41 by means of keys 46 seated in aligned guide grooves of bothmembers, but longitudinal movement of the clutch member relative to theskeleton frame is, however, permitted because of the keying constructionemployed. Intern'iediate the keys 46 lengthwise slots 47 are cut in thelongitudinally extending portion of the clutch member 41. Ears 48 extendradially from the frame 37 into these slots, and are provided withscrew-threaded apertures in which are secured longitudinally extendingbolts 49 having outwardly turned heads 50. This construction is shown inFig. 1. A coil spring 51- encompasses the longitudinally extendingportion of the clutch menu her and is confined thereon between ashoulder of the same and the heads of the bolts carried by the skeletonframe 87. Inasmuch as the ears of the frame 37 also key the same to theclutch member 41 and thereby prevent relative rotation, it will be seenthat the keys 46 might be dispensed with entirely without changing theresult obtained.

In order to manually shift the'clutch member from the neutral positionshown into frictional engagement with either of the frusto-conicalsurfaces mentioned, a yoke 52 is provided. This yoke straddles theannularly grooved hub portion 42 of the clutch member, and is keyed atits apex to a transverse pivoting shaft 53 which is journalled in theupper part of the casing. Oppositely disposed lugs 54 extend from theyoke arms into the groove of the hub portion in horizontal alignmentwith the axis thereof, and

H ll

are provided on both sides with thrust bearings 55 carried by the grooveto prevent frlction when the clutch member is shifted l ll of said lugs.As shown in Fig. 1, one end of the pivoting shaft projects outside ofthe casing and is there provided with a control pedal or handle 56keyedthereto;

The pedal or handle 57 of the ordinary vehicle hand brake may be mostconveniently journalled on the projecting portion of the shaft 53 injuxtaposition with the transmission control pedal 56. A ring gear 58 maybe, keyed to the drum 23 at the left end thereof and serve as anengaging means for the type of self-starter ordinarily employed withmotor vehicles.

The cooperation of the transmission proper with the additional mechanismhereabove described and illustrated in Fig. '13 is as follows: lhemechanism to the left of and including the gear wheel 34 issubstantially. the same as the complete transmission illustrated in Fig.l with the'exce tion that the gear wheel is freely journalled on theextension of shaft 10 and is not attached to the driven shaft 11 as isthe cor responding gear wheel 20 of Fig. 4-.

then the forward and reverse drive shifting mechanism is in the positionshown in Fig. 2, the transmission is inoperative as such since theentire tram-rmission proper will obviously rotate in a clockwisedirection with and at the same speed as the power or drive shaft 10,causing the frame 37 and the clutch member 41 keyed therewith to rotatein a similar direction but at a greater speed. If the clutch the leftinto frictional contact with the'po riphery of the gear wheel 34, itwill be of. vious that the said gear wheel will become indirectly lockedto, and ti erefore rotate a with, the driven shaft 11, whereupon aforward drive of the driven shaft through: the transmission results. i

If the clutch member is however shifted to the right into frictionalengagement with the stationary inner surface of thecasing 12, it will beseen that the skeleton frame will be held stationary with the clutchmember, and the rotation of the si-vinall ring gear 86 reduced bysubstantially one half to a reverse rotation of the driven shaft llthrough the pinions 39 and gear wheel When the transmission is operatingin forward drive an efficient emergency b'ralcing through the motor andtransmission may be effected without injury by sl'iifting from forwardinto reverse.

1 claim:

1. In a power t 'ansntiission, a driving element, a load-carrying drivenelement, and centrifugally operated means connecting said elementswhereby to drive the latter by the former in aratio of speedtransmission capable of gradual variation under automatic control of theload resistance;

member is now shifted to resistance is sutliicent to overcome static.

engagement between the brake members.

In a power transmission, a driving shaft, a load-carrying driven shaftalignc-zt therewith, and centrifugally operated means connecting saidshafts whereby to drive the latter by the former in a ratio of speedtransmission capable of gradual variation under automatic cont'ol of theload resistance; said connecting means includin biachet connected to thedriving sha t for rotation therewith, two countershafts journaled in thebracket, gearing connecting the countershafts with the driven shaft; twofrictionally co-acting brake members, gear ing connecting onecountershaft with one of the brake members to rotate the latter in onedirection and gearing connecting the other countershaft with the otherbrake member to rotate the latter in the opposite direction. 3.111 apower transmission, a driving shaft, a load-carrying driven shaftaligned therewith, and cent ifugally operated means for connecting saidshafts whereby to drive the latter by the former in a ratio of speedtransmission capable of gradual variation under automatic control of theload resisance; said connecting means including a bracket connected tothe driving shaft for rotation therewith, a gear connected to the drivenshaft for rotation therewith, two countershafts journaled in tliebracket, pinions mounted on the countershafts and meshed with the gearon the driven shaft, a plurality of centrifugal weight members arrang lto revolve about the axis of the transm ion, a gear for revolving "howeight members, a pinion mounted on one of the counter-shafts and meshedvith the the wei ht members,

gear associated witn drum against which the Wt ght membc s are arra gedto bear :ifrictionaly under centrifugal force, a gear for rotating thedrum, and a pinion on the other of the countershafts for rotating thegear associated with the drum. i

4. In a power transmission, a driving shaft, a driven shaft alignedtherewith and provided with a gear for rotating the same in thedirection of the driving shaft, a train of gears connecting said shaftsand including countershafts revolvable about the axis of the drivingshaft and provided with pinions, and two co-acting brake memhersproiided with means for rotating the same, one pinion on. each of thecountershatts meshing with the gear on the driven shaft, one pinion onone of the conntershatt driving one of the brake members, and one pinionon another of the countershaits driving the other of the brakeineinbers. o

5. In a power transmission, a driving shai't'a driven shaft alignedtherewith and provided with an internal gear for rotating the same inthe direction of the driving shaft a train of gears connecting saidshafts and incliilding countershatts revolvahle about the axis of thetransmission and provided with pinions, and two eo-aeting brake -memhersprovided respectively with external. and internal gears for rotating thesame, one pinion on each of the counter-shafts meshing outwardly withthe internal gear on the driven shaft, one pinion on one of thecountershafts meshing outwardly with the internal gear associated withone of the brake men'ibers, and one pinion on another of thecountershafts inesl'iing inwardly with the external gear associated withthe other of the brake members.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed mv name.

WILLIAM E. JOHNSON.

